To find the public sniffing of babies' bottoms/nappy changes undignified?

Even though I have one of my own now, I still try to avoid the "lift and sniff" nappy check technique. If I do it, I try to be very subtle about it. It's always made me uncomfortable, don't really know why. Also the public "I don't have to go anywhere to change this really rotten nappy. I'll just do it here while you eat your scone," school of thought. I always go away somewhere, not because my child's nappies are horrid, (they're not, they smell like Angel Delight) but because I think it's more dignified for the baby. Babies deserve some privacy, no? My two SILs do both of these things all the time and I'm silently judgey, but they have six kids between them so maybe IABU?

Lines I never I thought I'd hear my friend of 30 plus years say - hoists his infant son in front of me and says 'can you sniff his arse for me and see if he's shat his nappy I've got a cold and more than one sniff will look like I'm doong it for pleasure'

It is undignified, but as other posters have said, better than a shitty finger! If DS is wearing a t shirt instead of a peppered vest, I tend to peek down the back instead of lift n sniff, but if its a best, lift n snif is quickest! Yes to changing somewhere discreet though. I can't stand the smell myself, and don't want to subject innocent bystanders to it!

How else are you going to check if they need a change? I'm not going to rush off to the toilets every time a child is wandering around toddler group with a stinky bum. I want to check whether it is my child.

But I agree on public changing. I will happily do a nappy places like the edges of playgrounds where there are no facilities. But in rooms where others are eating is just totally rank.

I just don't think you need to draw everyone's attention to the fact that your baby has just done a poo.

A friend does this - holding the baby right up in the air at the lunch table - I just think it's unnecessary. I thought so before having children and I still think so after having two of my own.

I think if you're suspicious you can usually tell in a more discreet way by just subtly moving down towards the nappy area, without practically announcing it.

Also somebody from my antenatal group once changed her 3 month-old baby's nappy in their pram at the table of a restaurant, which was a small local place, as she didn't want to go upstairs to the toilets. I was astonished....